Maybe Not Such a Good Idea
by Just Another Tin Dog
Summary: The Doctor is itching to get a closer look at those reptiles. But a little harmless Time Lord curiosity can lead to big problems...Ten/Rose
1. So far, so good

"Are you _serious_? You want us to go out with these people and stomp through the bleedin' forest hunting for a gigantic dangerous lizard thing – "

"Not a lizard, more like a dinosaur. Just to give you an accurate picture, you know. Well, actually, I suppose that's not really –"

"WhatEVER. – just so you can climb up on it and touch its whatzit – "

"Ooh now, Miss Tyler!"

"GOD! You are twelve with nine hundred years' experience, I swear. – anyway, so you can try to do some weird mind-meld with it FOR FUN in the seven seconds before it knocks you off its head and squashes you on the rocks and I get stranded here on Retro Caveman Prime – "

"Umcirillax, actually. And there's no other planet in the system, so it couldn't be called Prime anyway…"

"Aaaaaugh!" And, with that, the morning's first conversation came to a screeching halt as one very irate Rose snatched her trainers up, flipped her damp hair out of her face, and stomped out of the cottage in her stocking feet before she gave in to her impulse to club one very loquacious and thrill-seeking Time Lord over the head and drag his skinny arse over the hills and back to the TARDIS.

_What the hell was he thinking?_ Rose fumed. She perched on a beautifully-carved bench in the village center, brushed dirt and bark off her socks, donned her shoes, then fumbled in her pocket for a hair clip. _Leave it to him to get caught up in their mumbo-jumbo and want to go do something that's bloody likely to get him killed... _

The Day Before Yesterday

She'd been perfectly happy to have a new adventure the other day, when she'd strolled into the console room blearily munching toast after sensing that the TARDIS had finally materialized after six days in the Vortex. Good job, that; since the Doctor had been absorbed in rebuilding some capacitor and hadn't emerged much, there was only so much a girl could polish her toenails and read back issues of OK!.

The Doctor had been hopping maniacally around the rotor, checking readings. "Aaah, Rose! Morning! Come see what we've happened on! Well, you know, not as if I didn't pick it, obviously, but what a find! Remember when we went back to the Cretaceous? Well, here we are again. Only not. This is Umcirillax, which is currently remarkably similar ecologically to Earth's Mesozoic era – but with humanoid civilization, and with certain larger species that have low-level telepathic abilities. Wanna go see?"

His brown eyes twinkled with excitement as he held out his hand, fingers wiggling. She'd grinned, stuffed the rest of her toast in her mouth, slid her hand into his, and they'd quickly made their way out into the lush valley in which he'd hidden the TARDIS.

Since the civilization wasn't highly advanced, the Doctor had parked well away. The land was stunningly beautiful and the lifeforms they'd seen amazing, but they'd walked for most of a day and Rose was footsore and exhausted when the Doctor called a halt. "Ah! I see the village that showed up on the scanners. Perfect timing; we can spend the night here and ask our hosts to give us the tour tomorrow, eh? Not far now!" And, with his usual endless supply of energy, he'd hopped up and rocketed off down the slope. About halfway down, he'd realized that Rose wasn't keeping up and turned back. "All right?" At Rose's tired nod, he wrapped an arm snugly around her and set off again, more slowly.

Ten minutes later they'd arrived at the small but neat village. Their arrival was noticed by a young man who was hauling water from a well near the outskirts, but thankfully, on this "first contact" there were no threats, shouts, or outright attacks. He had merely looked curiously at them and asked "Greetings; are you from this village? I did not know of any parties out, and the nearest settlement is two days' walk. In any case, come and sit. It will soon be dark, and I know that Duleian will want to speak with you." He'd led them to a charming gathering place in the village center, filled with ornamental plants and carved wooden and stone benches staggered around a central low platform. "I will find Duleian. Make yourselves at ease; there is water in the cistern there."

Rose had sunk down heavily onto a bench and promptly rested her head in her hands, too tired to care much. The Doctor had lowered himself down next to her and draped his overcoat around her shoulders; with the two small yellow suns beginning to slide below the horizon, the temperature was dropping. Though their hiking exertions had kept Rose from being bothered by it, he knew they'd need to get somewhere inside fairly soon, since she hadn't brought anything heavier than her cotton hoodie…and a cold Rose was a grumpy Rose.

"Thanks. Didn't realize it was getting so cool…" She shivered and pulled the coat tightly around her, enjoying the scent that was distinctly Doctor as much as she enjoyed the warmth.

"Anytime." His soft, cheeky smile was, like always, an immediate mood-lifter, and she lifted her head with a bit of renewed interest just in time to see a portly but regal-looking man walk up, accompanied by the young man who had greeted them.

--


	2. Nice place you've got here

"Greetings, friends, and welcome! It has been a good while since we last had visitors. I am Duleian, the leader for this cycle. May I ask your names?" The stout man had arrived at their bench, and as Rose and the Doctor stood, she noticed that Duleian was eye-to-eye with the Doctor – though probably a good five or six stones heavier. The village head had an unruly mane of silvering brown hair and gentle brown eyes, and Rose thought he wore his homespun trousers and shirt with every bit as much dignity as the Prime Minister would have done in a natty suit. He wore a small, oddly luminescent green stone in a chain setting around his neck, which Rose supposed was a mark of office, but otherwise his attire appeared no different than that of the young man next to him.

The Doctor turned on his not-inconsiderable charm. "Hello, sir! I'm the Doctor, and this is Rose, and we've been so looking forward to coming here. We're from a good way away; might you have any accommodations available?" Rose figured she ought to cheese it up a bit too, as she really didn't fancy spending the night stretched out in the dank cool under an oversized palmetto, and mustered up her best beaming smile.

"Of course! Newcomers are a very welcome diversion for us. We would be honored to have you." A happy smile creased Duleian's ruddy face. "You must have been walking all day, and night is near upon us. I will see to it. Our guesthouse is not being used, so you shall have it to yourselves; Ellaran, would you run and ask Nianna to have it readied?" – here the young man nodded and dashed off – "I wish that more were out to greet you, but this is our evening mealtime. Would you like to have a meal with one of our families, or would you prefer to eat alone tonight and rest yourselves?"

The Doctor would have loved to dive right in, but one glance down at Rose's drawn face and heavy eyes convinced him that chatting could wait. "Er, as much as we'd love to get to know your people, I'm afraid that the walk here has rather worn us out. Would we offend if we waited until tomorrow to mingle?" He could feel Rose slump slightly in relief next to him, though her bright smile never faltered.

"Oh, my, no. We will all be pleased to talk to you whenever we can! I will have a meal sent to the guesthouse very soon; let us head that way. I imagine that Nianna has already gotten everything opened up and laid out; she is more excited about visitors than any person I have ever known!" He chuckled and began to lead the way past the stage and into a narrow but tidy lane.

The village was largely deserted as dark fell, though here and there the Doctor and Rose spotted similarly-dressed people ducking out of backlit doorways to settle animals or take in hanging linens for the night. The clay-tiled buildings seemed clean and sound, and the lanes, courtyards, and open areas were similarly well-kept. From behind them, the creaking sound of timbers and the low tones of men's voices indicated that the heavy gate through which they'd entered was being closed.

"Duleian, is your wall to keep out animals?" Rose asked, figuring she'd sleep better knowing the answer…after all, she'd take roaming animals over marauding psychos any day.

"Yes, but we have not had any trouble in several generations. We keep the walls and gate in good order, though we only close the gates at full dark, and even that is being very cautious. The larger animals very rarely leave the lowlands. But better to be safe than sorry, as every village head gets told many times before he takes over from the last. Besides, it saves us from having to post watch at night – those young men would dump me down a well for taking them from their hearths and mates and warm beds!"

Rounding a final corner by a silo-looking structure, the lane ended at a narrower path which led up to a small stone building. "Ah, here we are, and I see that my wife has indeed beat us to it!" As they approached, they could see flickering firelight through the slats of the window shutters.

Stepping onto the small porch, Duleian turned to them. "Please make yourselves comfortable. This is your dwelling for as long as you stay; no one will intrude on you, and there is a bar on the door. The east well is just on the other side of the storehouse there, and the jakes is behind the cottage. You should find what you might need, but should you want for something, ask anyone and they will either get it for you or find Nianna or myself. Now I will go and have a meal sent up, likewise in the morning. Pleasant dreams! I look forward to talking with you tomorrow." Duleian bowed slightly, kindly waved off their effusive thanks, and set off back up the path, turning onto the lane towards the village center.

"Well, let's check out the hotel. Better be a mint on my pillow." Rose was so tired that she really didn't care – she'd gladly kip on a clean floor – but curiosity was not to be denied, so she looked at the Doctor, who rotated the lever handle and ushered Rose into the guesthouse with a theatrically outstretched arm, then followed her in.

They were standing in a cozy stone cottage next to an intricately carved coatstand of dark, gnarled wood. A window on each wall was covered by solid wooden shutters, and the clean-swept wood floor was strewn with braided rugs. Around the room, several candles in wood holders flickered. Directly across the room from the door, a wide stone hearth surrounded the merrily crackling fireplace and held a sizable pile of wood. In one corner of the cottage were a low, double-sized bed with several blankets folded at the foot, and a rough but sturdy-looking chest of drawers. In another corner was a small table, topped by a bouquet of flowers in a clay vase and flanked by two straight-backed chairs.

In a third corner, a washstand was topped with a beautifully painted clay basin. Next to it a towel rack held four faded blue towels and some smaller cloths, and on the other side of it a narrow table held a full pitcher of water, a bar of what looked like soap, and several stoppered clay bottles. A narrow, unlatched door led to another, smaller room containing a warm-spring-fed pool. Roughly the size of a hot tub, it was sunken into the stone floor and carved out of the stone. Gentle wisps of steam rose from the surface in the crisp night air, and an occasional ripple and bubble meandered to the surface as the water moved rather briskly off to the side and down another crack, to be replaced by more warm water from below. Atop a wooden bench along one wall were more towels and a basket of rough, loofah-looking sponges.

"Dibs." Rose was hard-pressed not to drool as she imagined sinking into that lovely pool; she'd have to make sure the Doctor saved these coordinates!

Just then a knock came at the door, and the Doctor went to open it. Two young people – a girl and a boy, both maybe thirteen – handed the Doctor a large basket. The girl smiled. "Welcome! Duleian asked that we bring you an evening meal. There is vegetable stew, and cheese, and a loaf of bread, and some nauchnorra, and my mother's stonefruit pies. We will come back two hands after dawn with breakfast." Smiling broadly at the Doctor's appreciative sniffs and thanks, they both bowed and scampered back up the path.

"Well, so far we're ahead of our typical game, wouldn't you say? Nice accommodations, no angry mobs, free dinner?" The Doctor grinned and carried the basket over to the table and set it down, immediately digging through it as he catalogued the contents. Rose wasn't sorry to see it either; for lunch they'd eaten sandwiches they'd packed in the Doctor's cavernous pockets, but those were long gone.

The Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, twiddled with the settings, and passed it slowly and carefully over each of the items in the basket. "Allrighty, let's make sure we're not going to regret this meal later…ah! Excellent! All safe to eat, although that brown stuff in the bottle – I think that must be the nauchnorra? – is pretty potent. Nearly thirty-five percent alcohol by volume, so it's like double-strength fortified wine. Ah well, shall we?"

They unpacked the food and sat down at the small table, chatting idly about the planet and village while they ate. The stew was good, full of odd but tasty vegetables, and very filling, though a bit on the bland side. The cheese and bread could easily have come from Earth, despite the slight reddish tint to both (due to some weird mineral, which the Doctor nattered on about), and the dark, honeylike nauchnorra was indeed powerful stuff. Rose had one glass and the Doctor three - but then again, his Time Lord physiology didn't metabolize alcohol the way she did, so she doubted he'd be dancing on the tables anytime soon. She, on the other hand, was already feeling the effects of the drink, and on top of the exhaustion of the day, it was rapidly draining her. Such was her tiredness that she didn't even complain - _too_ much – when the Doctor ate both his fruit pie and hers. After a quick trip to the outdoor loo, she'd realized that she didn't have much time left before she was a complete zombie, and she _really_ wanted to get clean.

"D'you mind if I have a wash? I smell like…well, sweat and weird alien planet dirt, and I'm gonna crash soon." Rose didn't even wait for an answer. She grabbed her small knapsack from the spot by the door where she'd dropped it. Heading into the small bathing room, she stripped off and lowered herself into the steaming water, barely suppressing a groan. She could easily fall asleep in here, but she supposed that might lead to some mighty uncomfortable situations, so she forced herself to dig out her travel toiletries and scrub her hair and body clean. Lingering for just a few moments longer, she sighed and begrudgingly hauled herself out. She dug in her knapsack and retrieved clean undies, pink pajama bottoms, and a snug gray tank top. In a few moments she was dressed and had her hair at least acceptably dry – though she predicted plaits or a ponytail for tomorrow, for sure – and she left the blessed warmth of the bathing room for the chillier main room.

"You look happier," remarked the Doctor from the table area. He looked up from his paperback and took in her night attire and wet hair. "Better get in bed; this fire's on the way out, and once it does it'll get a lot colder in here." He stood and headed out the door; Rose took a minute to clean her teeth at the washstand, then tossed the water out the door and all but leapt into the low bed. She was still thrashing around trying to get the pillows and covers arranged to her liking when the Doctor came back in and headed for the bathing room, snagging the bar of local soap on his way.

Ten minutes later, Rose was drowsily watching the patterns of light flicker on the ceiling when the Doctor emerged, toweling his head and wearing navy pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt. "Mmphr uffr orrow?" he said, his voice entirely muffled by the towel. Rose snickered, then broke into helpless giggles when he removed the towel to reveal the wildest hair she'd ever seen on him…and that was saying a lot. "Hey, missy! Not all of us travel with potions and weapons to make our hair behave in all possible circumstances!" He ran his hands through the offending shock, which did actually tame it rather well, and stuck his tongue out impishly at Rose before turning to bar the door and blow out the candles. By the dim light of the fading fireplace, he approached the bed. "Mind if I share? No couch, and those chairs are going to be torture devices after an hour or so…"

"'Course. Get in. Just don't even think about stealing the covers." Rose scooted over and held back the covers, and the Doctor slid his lanky body in. The mattress filling, whatever it was, was remarkably supportive yet soft, and as his weight lowered the side of the bed, Rose was rolled slightly in toward him. To her surprise, he reached out and gently gathered her into his arms, curling his body up snugly with hers and tucking his head next to hers. Well, okay, she could most certainly live with this. Most certainly. She focused on enjoying every sensation she possibly could.

"All right?" he murmured against her hair. Personally, the Doctor was blissfully content – clean and fed, Rose in his arms, a new planet to explore tomorrow…it didn't get much better as far as he was concerned.

"Mmmmhmm…" Rose snuggled even closer, laying her hand on his chest to feel the odd yet comforting double-thump. Her cheek was pressed up against his jawline – _ooh, he'd shaved_ - and she could smell the new tang of the local soap overlaid on the Doctor's individual scent. Her tired feet and legs tangled up with his and their Colgate-y breath mingled; this was as close to heaven as she'd possibly imagined, even with her being so exhausted that she didn't even have energy for naughty thoughts.

With the Doctor's fingers brushing out a gentle metronomic caress on her back, it didn't take long for Rose to drop off. The Doctor continued to hold her close as she slept, watching the firelight die and losing himself in the rare sensation of complete contentment. After several hours, even he, too, slept.


	3. Meeting the locals

Yesterday

The sounds of voices and animals reached Rose's brain first. For one tiny second she wondered what the TARDIS was up to – since when were there roosters? – but soon the feel of the stiffer bedclothes and the vaguely unfamiliar scent of the air clicked, and she opened her eyes. The cottage looked the same as it had last night, though with the first hints of sunlight peeking in along the edges of the shutters.

The Doctor was nowhere to be seen, though he'd stayed in bed with her for much of the night. She'd woken twice to the far-off call of a strange animal and been immensely comforted by his presence snuggled up close against her in the pitch-dark. The first time, her jolt had also woken him, and he'd fuzzily mumbled against her neck as his arms tightened around her. The second time, he'd clearly already been alert; when she'd cried out softly and jarred herself awake, he'd gently rubbed her back and arms and whispered into her hair for her to go back to sleep.

Pushing those thoughts away with difficulty, she got out of bed and went into the bathing room. She hesitated a moment, then bent down and scrubbed out her dirty clothes with the local soap the best she could; no way was she putting those nasty things back on tomorrow! Wringing them out, she draped them along the bench and table, hoping that they would dry before the next day. Pulling out her one change of clothes from her knapsack, she got dressed quickly and did her best to make herself presentable despite the lack of a mirror bigger than her tiny compact's. After a quick trip to the outhouse, she returned to the small porch to get a good look around.

The village was stirring, and the aura of peacefulness was strong. Men and older boys were meeting up in small groups or moving purposefully along the lanes, each one holding the implements of his trade, and women and children were scuttling around the homes and yards tending to animals and drawing water. The low murmur of voices and routine activity was occasionally interspersed with a child's high-pitched shout or an animal's strident bleat. No one had yet noticed her…until a flash of quicker motion caught her eye and she saw the Doctor striding back toward her, carrying another basket much like last night's.

"Morning, sunshine!" The Time Lord beamed at her as she waved. "Figured I'd bring this back; I was wandering around, watching the sun rise, and I ran into Duleian's wife – she's the Nianna who got this cottage ready for us – and she dragged me back to their house to get our breakfast. We're invited whenever we're ready, by the way. Seems everyone here wants to talk to the visitors. Quite right too. I think we're rather fascinating, don't you?" He pushed open the cottage door and shooed Rose, still bemusedly shaking her head, inside.

As the Doctor dug through the basket and laid the food out on the table, Rose stole a good look at him. She had no idea whether the night of rest had done him good – he rarely seemed to sleep - but he looked even more chipper than usual. He still smelled faintly of the herbal local soap, and that fabulous head of chocolate-brown hair was actually behaving… and how the hell did he manage to wear the same clothes for days running and never stink or look rumpled? Did he carry another entire suit in those dimensionally transcendent overcoat pockets? She supposed she'd best not ask, and instead sat down and tucked into breakfast.

The Doctor gave an impressive running commentary on the probable origins and preparation techniques of the bread, cheese, and tangy fruit preserves, at the same time inhaling an astonishing amount of food. Rose hoped his metabolism stayed this turbocharged, _else he wouldn't look nearly so fit in those pinstriped trousers… _She forcibly turned her attention to breakfast and their planet _du jour_.

"So, tell me again exactly why we're here? Not that this isn't nice and all, but you said something about telepathic things?" Brushing crumbs off her fingers, Rose sat back.

"Mmph?" the Doctor quirked an eyebrow as he tried to finish chewing a last colossal mouthful of bread. Finally swallowing, he continued. "Yes, the largest class of land creatures seem to have some small telepathic ability. Of course, I'm not entirely sure how intelligent they are, so it might be more of a static-y connection than an actual conversation…but either way, it's fascinating! As soon as we can get to Duleian, we'll find out how we go about finding the darling beasties. All done? Excellent!" The Doctor leapt up, quickly repacked the basket, and grabbing both it and the dinner basket from the night before, headed for the door.

"Erm, Doctor…" Rose suppressed a giggle and walked up to him as he expectantly bounced on his toes. "Probably no need to save some for later." She swiped at his cheek with her thumb, removing the shockingly pink smear of the local fruit preserves. "But it does go well with your tie." The Doctor at least had the grace to look slightly embarrassed before he headed back on his trajectory, a skinny torpedo of unbridled curiosity headed straight for the village center. Rose shook her head and caught up with him at the turn onto the main path.

A few minutes later, they arrived at a nondescript dwelling close in to the center of the village. The Doctor knocked briskly and called out "Duleian! It's the Doctor and Rose." Within a few seconds, the door was opened wide and the leader stood in the doorway.

"Pleasant morning to you both! I hope your night was comfortable?" At their fervent reassurances, he looked relieved and continued. "This is truly fortuitous timing; we are in a slow time between harvests and flock cullings, so speaking with visitors is a very welcome way to spend time, since we cannot do much more than routine upkeep and chores. Ah! I must stop speaking; Nianna tells me that at times she would sew my mouth shut if she could. Please, will you come in and tell us about yourselves? Several of the men and women will be here soon, and we can sit and talk, if that is suitable to you."

"Of course, of course – and would you mind answering a few questions for us, as well? We're the curious sort…" Ushering Rose in before him and stepping into the inviting main room, The Doctor was looking avidly around the inside of the village leader's home, taking in all the information he could.

"You have only to ask. Others may be more qualified to answer depending on the question, but any of us will be glad to help as we can. Dorthil coordinates our crops and farming, so he may help you there, and Gweynar is currently the head of the craftsmen's association. I, myself, have not been out hunting or herding in cycles, so that shall be the province of Shahved – he is one of the young men's leaders outside the wall, and knows much about the beasts. He and his sister Orrona are also the guides for any who venture out into the lowlands."

Just then a knock came at the door, and Duleian opened it to reveal four men and two women. "Ah, here they are. Pleasant morning to you all. These are our visitors, the Doctor and Rose." With a flurry of half-bows and smiles and murmurs, the six stepped in. "Let us sit and talk! With this rare time of idleness upon us, we must make the most of our privilege to work our mouths instead of our bodies!" A round of chuckles went through the group, and everyone settled on low hassocks set in a rough circle in the main room.

"Doctor, Rose, some of our people have asked or been invited to speak with you. I will have them introduce themselves, if they will…" Duleian gestured to the gaunt, craggy-featured man to the right of Rose, who spoke in a surprisingly low, rumbling voice.

"I am Gweynar. I am serving now to represent the craftsmen. It is a great honor to meet you."

The next speaker was, to Rose's surprise, the calm young man who had first greeted them upon their arrival. "Ellaran. Duleian was kind enough to invite me, though I do not serve in any special capacity. I work with my father tending and training the riding beasts. I am honored."

An dark, handsome young man spoke next. "I am Shahved." He took in first the Doctor, then Rose with a slow, piercing gaze, then nodded. "I lead expeditions and help prepare others to undertake them. An honor." As he spoke the last words, his eyes trailed on Rose.

The beautiful young woman beside him smiled. "I am Orrona, sister to Shahvad, and I work with him on expeditions. You are the first woman of my age to come through in a long time, so as a sister I welcome you!" She nodded politely to the Doctor, then beamed at Rose, who returned the smile. _Nice to have a girlfriend no matter where you go!_

The plain but pleasant-looking man next to her bowed his head. "I am Dorthil, and currently I am in charge of our crops. You honor us."

The last of the six, a plump, rosy-cheeked middle-aged woman with friendly eyes and a smiling mouth, seemed to bubble over with excitement. "I am Nianna, and I have the great fortune and also misfortune to be the partner of this not-so-young fellow" – she patted Duleian lovingly on the knee – and I am in charge of the midwives, storehouse, and guesthouse, as well as helping in whatever capacity Duleian requires. Should you need anything at all, please find me. Visitors are rare and make my heart glad!"

The village leader slapped his thighs. "Well! Now you know who we are, and we you. Would you do us the honor of telling us about yourselves and your journey?" The group leaned forward, and Rose found herself crossing her fingers down by her side. _What's he going to tell them this time? Lovely that the one thing we can't tell is the truth. And please, let them not want to string us up. Had enough of that for one lifetime…_


	4. Divide and conquer

"Certainly, but it's not terribly interesting, I'm afraid." The Doctor was oozing casual airiness, though Rose knew that his brain was whizzing faster than a bullet train trying to fabricate the appropriate story to feed the locals this time. "We're from very far away; I couldn't even begin to figure how long it would take to walk back there now. Anyway, a long time ago, we decided to spend our lives – as much of them as we could, anyway - traveling. You see, we love new places, new people, don't like to stay settled down for any longer than we have to. So, really, that's it. We're just curious!" The Doctor beamed brightly and settled back on his hassock.

_Oh, slick,_ Rose thought, _he didn't even technically lie! I wonder how long it'll take them to figure out that he didn't answer their bleedin' question at all! But then again, they did take us in without any questions, so maybe they really ARE that trusting. Huh. _

"What a curious decision! Do neither of you miss your home village? Have you any family?" Gweynar's gravelly voice was inquisitive but friendly.

"Ah, no…I've got none any more, and Rose here has some. We're planning to go back sooner or later so she can visit, but we're the wandering type through and through. Never meant to stay in one place, I suppose. But it keeps life interesting!" The Doctor offered a grin. "Do any of your people travel?"

"Some of us do, for hunting or expeditions, but rarely more than a day or two away. Tell me, are you two…partnered? Joined?" Shahved's intense dark eyes bored into the Doctor's after flicking away to Rose.

"Aaaah. We're certainly partners, very close indeed, can't do without each other and all that. But no, we're, aaah, not married." Scratching the back of his head, the Doctor tried to cover up his flustered reaction and failed badly, which elicited barely-concealed grins from Rose, Orrona, and Nianna, and renewed scrutiny of Rose by Shahved.

"I see." Shahved gave them each a last look, then nodded politely.

"Perhaps you will share your experiences and knowledge with us as you stay with us? I will not be so rude as to sit and ask endless questions now, but I know we are all most fascinated to know of the things and people beyond our usual reach…" Duleian seemed torn between wanting to talk their ears off, and not wanting to offend new friends.

"We'll be glad to talk to your people. Though you might have some trouble getting me to stop." The Doctor's self-effacing grin was mirrored around the room, and Nianna pointedly looked at her husband, edging the smiles into laughter. The Doctor continued, not wanting to lose steam, "Duleian, would you mind if I asked some questions?"

"Oh, my, no! Ask what you will; I cannot guarantee who will be able to give you the best answer, but surely between the room of us we can satisfy you. What would you like to know?" At this, the stocky leader settled back, effectively turning the floor over. _Quite the leader,_ thought Rose. _He knows when to back off and let someone else talk. Wish there were more of him…he could run some planets better than their own governments._

"Well…we'd heard tell of animals which have some telepathic abilities. That's unheard of where we're from; can you tell us more? Is it true?" The Time Lord was perched forward on his hassock, eyes dancing with ferocious curiosity as he swept the room, looking for whomever might be first to speak.

The circle was filled with reverent nods; clearly they'd scored on an interesting point. "You mean the agrantha, yes. It is strictly an animal of the lowlands, so most would never have seen one. I had wondered how far the stories had traveled." Duleian spoke conversationally, but the tone had subtly and respectfully changed: whatever this creature was, it was very important to the villagers. "I suppose you ought first to know what they look like…"

_Thwap!_ A knock on the door interrupted, and the conversation faltered while Nianna got up to answer the door. A feminine murmur ensued, and soon Nianna turned to the circle. "Orrona, the cooper's daughter is here to speak with you about her coming-of-age ride. Will you see her?"

Rising gracefully, the young woman nodded "Of course. She has been rather patient with me these last few days as I have been finishing up some work; I will meet with her now. Doctor, I must leave, but I look forward to more conversations!" Here Orrona hesitated, then she added, "Rose, if you would like, you are more than welcome to spend as much of the day with me as you would like. I do not know what you prefer to find out about, but I am always glad of company…"

Rose looked over at the Doctor, who tilted and imperceptibly nodded his head: _Do what you like. I'll fill you in later. _

"If you don't mind, I'd love to!" She stood and tried to catch everyone's eyes. "Thank you all for your hospitality. I'll be…wherever Orrona is. Doctor, till dinner? " He nodded and took her hand for a moment, squeezing lightly – a motion not unnoticed by the dark-eyed Shahved. Rose followed Orrona out the door, as the sounds of conversation resumed before the door closed behind her.

Just off the low porch, Orrona waved to the young lady waiting politely back up at the main lane, then stopped to face Rose. "I hope you did not think me presumptuous, nor that you were obliged to come with me – but I thought you might like a change of scenery, since I well know those will be still chewing their words come dark -"

"Oh, no! I'm more than glad! Always nice to hang out with the ladies, eh?" Rose gave a conspiratorial grin, which was answered by a smile in return, and together they headed toward the path to meet the young teenager. "Who's this, then? Something about a ride?"

"Yes. It is tradition for the girls of the village, when they have had their moon-times for one full cycle, to take a day's ride alone, out beyond the crops and herds, to spend the night in the hilltop forest. The ride itself shows skill and endurance, for the terrain is rough, and spending the night shows bravery. She gathers medicinal plants to show her knowledge, and makes a painting on hide to show her eye for beauty, then brings both back to the village, and a celebration is given to mark her as a woman."

They had reached the lane. "Rose, this is Hennthal, the cooper's daughter, who will soon be making her ride. Hennthal, this is Rose, one of our new visitors from far away. She will be spending the day with me; do you mind if she is with us as we talk?"

"Oh, no! I would be honored. Perhaps you will distract me from some of my worry!" The lanky teenager smiled shyly, and Rose returned the greeting. Orrona led the way down the lane and through several rows of houses and sheds before arriving at a large, oddly-shaped structure. It seemed to be made in three parts, though connected together.

"This is my house; I share it with my brother Shahved, whom you met, and we run our expedition planning and storage out of that center area. Having that between us keeps us from throttling each other sometimes; that was rightly planned!" Orrona stepped onto the porch and opened the door, nodding them inside before her. The interior looked much as the cottage and Duleian's had, with a large, heavy-beamed doorway leading into the center work area. Orrona indicated the large doorway. "In here we may talk through this ride and your needs, Hennthal…"

* * *

Hours later, Rose hurried toward the guest cottage through the odd lengthening shadows of late afternoon. Villagers greeted her and children frankly stared as she passed; somehow she didn't really mind being the center of attention here. She edged up onto the grass once to avoid a thin young man pushing a cart full of tools, and once again to avoid being nearly trampled by a flock of small goat-like creatures and the little girl driving them back toward the pen. Smiling, she paused for a moment to look around her at the peaceful activities of the village. Maybe this wasn't such an exciting trip so far, but it certainly made a nice change of pace from being chased. A chilly breeze gusted down the gap between the rows of buildings, and Rose turned again to set off – but was stopped by the sudden appearance of Shahved directly in her path.

"Greetings, Rose. I regret that I had no time to speak with you today; would you have time to walk with me as I check the walls and gate?" His direct gaze was intense and made Rose a bit uncomfortable, but she was definitely not going to let him know that.

"Erm, that's very kind, but I promised the Doctor I'd meet him back at the cottage for dinner now. He'll be waiting, and he gets well worried if I'm late. Quite the worrier, you know. Perhaps we can talk tomorrow?" She glanced up the lane toward the guest cottage and saw the dancing patterns of firelight behind the shutters; the Doctor was indeed already there. And within earshot, should she need to yell - good. Not that it would come to that; she had a hard time believing that untoward advances would be allowed in such a tight-knit and peaceful community, but a girl couldn't help noticing her situation…

"I see. And you say that you and he are not mates?" At her head shake, he cocked an eyebrow and stared intently into her eyes again. "Well, I shall look forward to seeing you tomorrow, then. Pleasant evening to you both." With a courtly dip of the head, Shahved disappeared down a side lane the way Rose had just come.

_That was weird. _ Briskly walking the last few dozen meters, but refusing to look behind her, Rose arrived at the cottage's porch just as the Doctor opened the heavy door.


	5. Back home

Author's note: Sorry about the long gap between updates. Sick kids keep one from doing much writing!

Letting out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, she stepped into the cozy room and drank in the warmth of the fire and the Doctor's obvious happiness to see her. Putting his hands on her upper arms, he gave them a gentle squeeze and a brisk rub. "Never going to bring a proper coat, are you? You're cold. Come on, food's already here. No point in eating it cold if you can eat it hot, and I doubt they've got much in the way of microwaves. Although those two little suns do give off a tad more microwaves than I'd have thought. Ooh, look, more pies!"

They sat down to eat and spent the meal chatting about the village and villagers; by tacit consent, they'd save the real information sharing until they were fed and comfortable. Once the Doctor had scarfed down the last molecules of the fruit- and spice-studded bread, they started packing up the basket. As Rose leaned across to collect the bottles and corks, the Doctor nudged her arm back down. "Oh, go on, I _suppose_ I can handle the arduous cleaning here. I know you want to go flop about in the tub. Sometimes I think you humans never should have left the water, the way you get all…human-y…about baths." A smirk snuck out as he snagged the large lidded tureen from the center of the table and heaved it into the basket.

"Hey, and for that I'll take you up on it, cheeky!" Rose flounced to grab her knapsack and headed for the bathing room, directing a parting shot over her shoulder as she disappeared: "…and I think you missed a crumb there."

She dropped her knapsack on the bench and went over to check her scrubbed-out clothes from the day before. They were almost dry, so she gathered them up and brought them back into the less-humid main cottage to finish up over the night. Seeing her re-emerge, the Doctor put on a rather pitiful show of labored exhaustion as he dropped the linenlike napkins into the basket and flipped the lid shut. Rolling her eyes and grinning, she draped her clothes over various pieces of furniture and made a second beeline for the waiting hot water.

She had just got her trainers off and was brushing out her hair when the Doctor knocked at the door. "What? No dishes in here, good man…" She was rewarded with an indignant snort, then she heard the Doctor slide down the wall and settle just outside the cracked door. "What in the world are you doing on the floor?"

"I can't talk to you from the chairs, can I?"

Was he really going to sit right there while she lounged in the tub? Rose thought furiously for a moment, then hesitated before replying. "Look, that's weird. I suppose you could come sit in my Jacuzzi while we talk. Only there's no daiquiris, but…"

"Aah." She could feel his hesitation.

"Underwear's the next best thing to a bathing suit, I'll have you know. Come on in before the water gets cold."

She could positively hear him scratching the back of his head as he muttered something about that taking several millennia, barring any exceptionally unusual tectonic activity. She stripped off her dusty second outfit, leaving on her black cotton sports bra and matching boy-cut knickers, then grabbed her toiletries before slipping into the steaming water. The odd, slightly alien tang of the local dissolved minerals wafted up around her face as she leaned back against the smooth rock, either worn or polished into a perfect backrest. This was definitely her favorite planet, she decided. Besides Earth. Maybe.

A puff of cool air accompanied the Doctor through the door. He had ditched his suit jacket and tie, and he perched on the edge of the bench, not looking directly at Rose. "Bit small, with you wallowing about. I'll just sit right…"

"Nope. In." Rose gave a perfunctory splash with one hand, indicating the pool's other indentation next to her. "Plenty of room. Come on."

Another hesitation, then the rustle of clothing and thunk of Chucks. Rose forced herself not to look up and slightly behind her left shoulder. After a moment, a flash of pale skin and blue shorts crossed her line of vision, and all of a sudden the Doctor was in the pool with her: soaking wet, wearing nothing but boxers, and two feet away.

_Okay. You can handle this. _

"Please tell me this feels as good to Time Lords as it does to humans. I know you've got the wonky lower body temperature and all, but it is seriously not right to not enjoy a hot tub." Rose stretched her back and settled a little lower in the water to let it cover her shoulders. Thank goodness the water was all ripply as the hot water fed in and drained off; at least that obscured things a bit!

"Hmm. It's definitely hotter than Gallifreyans would ever choose, but we have a good bit more control over our hypothalamus, as well as the ability to tolerate a wider range of environmental conditions, so it's quite safe. And very nice," he added quickly, seeing Rose's bemusedly raised eyebrow. "Rather be in a hot tub with you than a tepid one with a Slitheen! Imagine the bubbles."

He beamed brightly, then his grin faltered a bit as Rose snorted sternly. "Well, _that's_ quite the compliment. Never been told that before…" She gave up and threw her head back, laughing.

He took the opportunity to watch her in an unguarded moment of happiness. She was so delightfully alive, so open and willing and accepting and forgiving. And, he had to admit, quite lovely too. Her pale skin was flushed with the heat, and strands of her hair were clinging damply to her neck and collarbone. He forced himself not to look down below her neck, but he knew already that there was more attractiveness there, and now probably wouldn't be a good time to blatantly admire that…

"Well, how was the day with Orrona?" He stretched up out of the water to snag a couple of washcloths from the pile, and Rose couldn't help but get an eyeful of mostly-bare Time Lord. His usual suit hid any details of physique save for his slim build, and she'd not been in much of the mental state to appreciate it when she'd changed him into pyjamas after his regeneration, so seeing him – especially in this setting - sent a shiver straight through her. His shoulders and long arms were sleekly toned, and he had a fine layer of hair on his nicely muscular chest. She'd known he was thin, of course, but was still taken aback by his narrow waist and flat stomach above the band of his boxers.

"…Huh? Oh." Damn, she'd been caught staring. "It was a pretty long day. We spent a couple of hours with that girl getting her supplies ready for that coming-of-age ride. Orrona is really professional and efficient. You wouldn't believe what she can remember and calculate without even pencil and paper. She had them there, I mean, but she didn't ever use them. And they discussed a lot of stuff."

"Yes, in a low-tech society they often have very developed mental computation and memories, in the fields that require them. Actually not uncommon for young people to be chosen into those fields based on their aptitude as children in those areas…" The Doctor was rummaging around in the small pile by the edge of the tub between them and finally retrieved Rose's bath gel. He dunked a washcloth and squeezed out a blob of gel. "Turn around."

Rose hesitated for a fraction of a second, then shifted so her back was to him and felt the water currents as he scooted closer to her. A cool hand gathered up her damp hair and efficiently twisted it into a knot, tucking the end under itself without a clip. Then the hand settled on her shoulder as the other hand began gently washing her back. "Is that all you did? Discuss supplies?" The scent of juniper wafted up.

Shaking herself mentally – _concentrate, Rose! _– she tried to focus on the conversation. "No, after the girl left I went with Orrona to the tanner's and then to the metalworker's. She was placing some orders and checking on deliveries. Then we went to her aunt's house for lunch. They have four little kids who worship the ground Orrona walks on. After that, we spent the rest of the afternoon inventorying and unloading a bunch of stuff in her storage area; she said that with the cooler weather coming, she needs to find out what she's low on as soon as possible since the nearest village still isn't very near."

The Doctor finished with her upper back and shoulders and began working his way down her left arm. "So nothing earth-shattering? I'm disappointed. I thought if you got two ladies together they'd gossip the meaning of life in under an hour!"

"Watch it, you. I didn't say that was all I learned!" He had her left hand in his, carefully and thoroughly washing it, and she was feeling the oddest combination of relaxation and desire. No spa worker was ever this, well, amazing. "I found out who's cheating on who, and who isn't very competent, and who is, and who her brother the creep wants to get with" – ugh, she really didn't want to think about Shahved now– "and who needs another wife fast before he poisons himself with his own cooking, and who makes the best homebrew and saddles in town. So there. Dead useful, gossip."

He finished with her left hand and started on her right arm, rubbing the lather in slow and gentle circles and paying a bit more attention to a patch of sticky resin on her wrist, which she'd gotten whilst helping Orrona unload one of the several deliveries of the afternoon. "Hmm. Well, I didn't even leave Duleian's until well into the afternoon. Most of the ones you met this morning stayed through lunch, talking, and I don't think I even babbled much; you should be proud. Mostly the current worries about crops, and herds, and a few basic society things. They really do have a remarkably self-sustaining little culture here. It's far from perfect, but the openness between leadership and governed is very entrenched, which is a good thing. They choose a new leader every cycle, which is about equivalent to two and a half years of your Earth time, from the…"

_Thwap! _ The knock on the door echoed from the main room like a shot. A muffled voice – they couldn't discern its owner through the pool room door – announced itself.


	6. Swapping stories

The Doctor levered himself out of the water and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist. "They'd better not try to sell me a vacuum cleaner…" he said as he moved toward the door. _Was that a regretful look he cast back over his shoulder as he pulled the door shut after him?_

Rose held her breath; she had no reason to expect any ill will from the villagers, but you just never knew. She strained to hear as the door squeaked open; she could easily tell the pitch and cadence of the Doctor's voice, but the other male voice was muffled and indistinguishable. At least it seemed calm enough, so she turned her attentions to finishing up her bath and washing her hair. As she was rinsing the last of the conditioner out, she heard the door bar slide home, then the Doctor's voice through the barely-cracked door: "Everything's fine. I'm going to build up the fire. Temperature's dropping fast."

"Right, I'm almost done. I'll get dressed out there while you get clean, then." Rose sighed and sat for a few more moments in the hot eddying water, then climbed out, stripping off her wet undies. Wrapping towels around her hair and chest, she gathered up her brush and pajamas and kicked her dirty clothes into a pile in the far corner; she'd wash them out in the morning. A wall of chilly air hit her as she stepped out of the steamy, warm bathing chamber and into the cottage's main stone room, and gooseflesh stood out all over her. She told herself sternly that it was entirely due to the temperature and not to the Doctor's gaze, nor to the fact that he was dressed in only a towel wrapped low around his hips.

"Hurry up, or I'll freeze to the sheets. Can't do without my personal hot-water bottle," she teased, dropping her toiletries on the table nearby. The Doctor bowed as majestically as his towel would allow, and slipped through into the bathing room. Rose sighed and steeled herself for the inevitable. Dropping the towel, she finished drying off as quickly as possible and shivered her way into her soft pants and camisole. She padded over to the washstand and cleaned her teeth, then fairly flew toward the bed with her hairbrush, tossing the towels over a chair as she passed.

She was still cold, and tiredly finishing up with the damp tangles, when the Doctor came out already dressed in his pajama pants and t-shirt and with his untamable hair standing in all directions. He poked at the fire, cleaned his teeth, then went around the room checking the door and windows and extinguishing all of the candles and lanterns but the one by the bed. Climbing in, he immediately scooped her in for a cuddle - then yelped as her cold nose touched his neck. "Aah! I didn't think humans could freeze solid so fast!" he complained, offsetting his words by tucking her even more closely against him.

Rose let out a huge sigh; this was the best part of the day by far. She couldn't really pinpoint when the line of propriety separating hand-holding and full-blown snuggling had vanished, but it hadn't made things uncomfortable or stilted, and it most certainly was a fabulous way to end a day. Judging by the Doctor's contented snuffles into her hair and his solid embrace, he definitely was a fan too…but…

"Oi! Cold feet!" she shrilled as he pressed the offending items on hers. He immediately removed them, though she could somehow tell he was smiling, and she continued, "…but I suppose it's fair payback for the cold nose." The chilly appendages snuck back and re-tangled with her feet, and he wiggled his toes against her instep, making her jerk and giggle. She considered blowing a raspberry against his neck, but decided against it, given that she was far more ticklish than he, and she knew from experience that he was a relentless payer-back of both pranks and tickles.

"So who was that, then?" Rose knew from the Doctor's lack of alert tension that it hadn't been anything worrisome, so she'd not bothered asking till now.

"It was the young fellow Ellaran, the one who met us when we got here. He wanted to tell me that there was a lowland expedition leaving tomorrow at noon, and that we were welcome so long as we could handle the walk. Figured we could decide in the morning."

"Uh-huh. So you got as far as telling me that you stayed trapped in the house till afternoon, and they mostly talked about boring town stuff. Any dirt on those Mr. Spock thingies?" Rose grinned to herself as he heaved a long-suffering sigh, melodramatically appalled at her cavalier attitude toward a galactically unique phenomenon, and started to explain what he'd found out.

"Well, they're large reptilian animals called agrantha, and they're indigenous, so far as they know, to the lowlands in this hemisphere. Not that they know about hemispheres, but from the TARDIS readings and their description of traveling records, that seems fairly accurate. Big quadripeds, about six meters high at the shoulder and ten meters long as adults. They're fairly dangerous and only travel together during mating season, and the females and males aren't substantially different physically or behaviorally when there are no eggs or young around." The Doctor flipped neatly over onto his back, then pulled Rose close in to his side with his right arm, so her head was resting on his inner shoulder and her hand was sprawled out on his chest. His now-free left hand gesticulated as he talked.

"The interesting part is a crystalline biosecretion that forms at the crest, just behind the eyeridge. It's roughly spherical, about the size of a grape, it's sunk in a bony socket, and it ranges in color from nearly clear to bright green, apparently depending on the strength of the telepathic potential –"

"Hey, wasn't Duleian wearing a green stone?" Rose was appalled at the thought of Duleian slaughtering anything; the leader seemed so mild-mannered.

"He does, and it's apparently the same stone and setting that's been handed down for generations from village leader to village leader. I wanted to scan it with the sonic screwdriver, but I couldn't figure out a way, what with it right up under his nose. Anyway, the tale is that it was from a tremendously old and powerful agrantha that ventured up near the village, searching for its lost mind-mate, and died silently during the night, all but laid across the village border. That caused them to build the walls and gate, and also to collect the stone and set it to be worn by the leaders. It's to remind them of the power of nature, and of the power of love, and of the history of the village. All of which may be complete hogwash, of course, but it did make for a nice tale. A very long one, too, though. I thought I might die of hunger…"

Rpse snorted softly. "Right. After all that breakfast you ate? Your poor gob expiring of exhaustion, more like. I bet you gave as good as you got." She nudged him in the ribs, and soon regretted it – his right arm was wrapped firmly around her and his hand laid against her side, which put him in the perfect position to deliver a retaliatory poke. She squeaked and squirmed, silently cursing the impulse and vowing that one day she'd get the last lick in.

"Ooh, Rose, now you know that wasn't nice! I was the very picture of reticence and never once spoke unless I was spoken to. Exactly as I do with you, eh? Eh? So unfair, you are…and you stop rolling those eyes, miss! Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. Until several generations ago, it was customary for young men to prove their manliness, as it were, by actually climbing up on an agrantha and touching its mindstone, which opens up the contact, for as long as they could stay atop the animal. It was nearly always done while an animal was asleep, as they're rather sluggish and slow to wake, and the contact quality is the same awake or asleep. A few daredevils would try with the agrantha awake, but apparently success wasn't very high, as it's a bit testy by nature and has some nasty defenses. It has several rows and patches of spikes, which are dangerous enough by themselves, but which also have poison glands at the tip. I tried to get a description of its effects, but the best I can figure is that it's some sort of neurotoxin that causes severe muscle spasms and headaches. Some accounts of people dying after getting multiple scratches or stabs. Anyway, it's rarely done any more; young men now undertake a very similar solo trip to the one the ladies take, and the agrantha-climbing is pretty much for the daredevils and mystics. It's treated with a good bit of reverence, though it's nowhere near religious in nature. Rather refreshing."

Rose thought for a moment. "So what's the point? Besides 'because I can.' The eternal mantra of the male. I mean, what do they pick up? Do they communicate at all? Does it hurt people or the agrantha?"

"Well, I never could get a good answer to that, since most of the men in the village now haven't done it, and like anything telepathic, one's experience is intensely personal and hard to describe. Duleian did it long ago, and Shahved more recently – several times, he did. A couple dozen of the other men in the village have also, including a few who left last season to travel to other villages to marry. But from Duleian's and Shahved's accounts, it's as if you're submerged in the agrantha's mind – you see and feel and taste like you were in its body, and your instincts or emotions are tremendously magnified. Of course, it doesn't last long, because the agrantha doesn't particularly like having people crawl about on its back and poke its special spot, then the trick is to clear your head quickly and manage to get off it and away before it can attack. Now, if a man wants to try, he has a team of helpers who distract the agrantha to give him time to clear off safely."

Rose was aghast. "Sorry, I know I'm supposed to be open-minded and all, but that's not half stupid! What kind of idiots would risk their lives like that, for no real reason? Just climb a giant tetchy lizard for fun? Men. Oh well, maybe we can see one and you can scan it. That expedition ought to be fun, I suppose. At least I brought my trainers this time…"

A huge, jaw-cracking yawn escaped her, and the Doctor chuckled. He leaned over and blew out the bedside candle. Wriggling down so his head was on the pillow, he gently maneuvered Rose down next to him and spooned up behind her, burying his face in her clean hair and wrapping her up snugly in his arms. A soft sigh followed by deep, even breathing indicated Rose's shove-off to sleep, and just as the night before, the Doctor wasn't far behind.


	7. You what?

Rose drifted slowly into wakefulness. The cottage was brightening up from the sunlight through the cracks and shutters, the chill was receding, and the murmur and rustle of village life crept in from outside. Again, she was alone in bed, but she smiled recalling the Doctor heaving sighs of what she'd sworn were happiness as they'd drifted off to sleep. _Probably gone to round up breakfast_, she figured, and shoved aside the covers.

She repeated the previous day's chore of washing out her dirty clothes, then she shook out the worst of the wrinkles in her newly-dry set and donned them, wincing at the lack of fabric softener as her jeans practically crackled. She made a halfhearted attempt at doing something with her atrocious bed-head, then gave up and knelt by the side of the pool, dunking her hair to re-wet it. Wrapping a towel around her head, she went through to the main cottage to lay out her washing and find her trainers.

"Oh, Roooooose! Wakey-wakey!" A familiar voice floated in from the main road, and she opened a set of the front shutters in time to see the Doctor step onto the porch, hefting the ubiquitous meal basket. She opened the door just as his hand reached for the handle, and grinned as his eyes widened at her makeshift turban.

"Salaam, my lady…" he said with tremendous self-control, but Rose's tongue poked out to the side of her smile and broke his straight face into an answering smirk. "I love what you've done with your hair."

"Cheeky. " Rose unwrapped the towel and hung it on the coatrack by the door. She neatly hooked the basket from his hand and spun around inside, heading for the table. She removed the bread, butter, and preserves, and they sat down. "Hmm, this might not be as good as the TARDIS waffle maker, but it's hard to beat front-door delivery." Mouth full of breakfast, the Doctor could only nod sagely and continue chewing.

When the Doctor's feeding frenzy had died down, Rose broached the question of the morning. "So, we still gonna go looking at this lizard? After lunch, right?"

"If you're up for a long walk. Ellaran says that we'll ride for the first half-day, but after that the terrain dips down into the lowlands, and it's not safe for the riding animals. So we'll leave them there at the border, so to speak, with Ellaran – that's what he does, tending them – and go into the lowlands on foot to try to find the agrantha. Apparently it's another few hours' hike to where we'd likely find them. So the plan is to leave midday today, camp at the edge for tonight, then set off on foot first thing, so we can be back at camp before nightfall, camp again, get back midday the next day. Two-day adventure."

"Huh. So how many crazies are there, then? The ones who're going to actually climb up on the thing? Or is this just a sightseeing tour?" Rose idly smeared the last crust of her bread with the pink stonefruit preserves.

"Well…erm, I'd rather thought I would. Nimble we are, Time Lords, hard to throw and all that. Did I ever tell you about the time I got accidentally entered into a rodeo?..."

"Are you _serious_? You want us to go out with these people and stomp through the bleedin' forest hunting for a gigantic dangerous lizard thing – "

"Not a lizard, more like a dinosaur. Just to give you an accurate picture, you know. Well, actually, I suppose that's not really –"

"WhatEVER. – just so you can climb up on it and touch its whatzit – "

"Ooh now, Miss Tyler!"

"GOD! You are twelve with nine hundred years' experience, I swear. – anyway, so you can try to do some weird mind-meld with it FOR FUN in the seven seconds before it knocks you off its head and squashes you on the rocks and I get stranded here on Retro Caveman Prime – "

"Umcirillax, actually. And there's no other planet in the system, so it couldn't be called Prime anyway…"

"Aaaaaugh!" And, with that, the morning's first conversation came to a screeching halt as one very irate Rose snatched her trainers up, flipped her damp hair out of her face, and stomped out of the cottage in her stocking feet before she gave in to her impulse to club one very loquacious and thrill-seeking Time Lord over the head and drag his skinny arse over the hills and back to the TARDIS.

_What the hell was he thinking?_ Rose fumed. She perched on a beautifully-carved bench in the village center, brushed dirt and bark off her socks, donned her shoes, then fumbled in her pocket for a hair clip. _Leave it to him to get caught up in their mumbo-jumbo and want to go do something that's bloody likely to get him killed._

The Doctor bit his lip and watched Rose storm out to the bench. He'd figured she wouldn't be too happy about him giving it a try, but she was actually angry. He vacillated for a moment, deciding whether it would be best to wait it out and let her cool off, or go after her. Finally he set his jaw, straightened his suit jacket, and headed toward the bench where his none-too-happy companion sat trying to pin up her hair. He could tell by the set of her shoulders and her jerky motions that she was getting more and more frustrated by the second as she tried, and failed, to neatly arrange her hair.

Coming up behind her, he laid his hands on her shoulders. "You're upset. I'm sorry." She heaved an enormous breath of…frustration? Anger? Resignation?...and her hands dropped to her lap. He slowly began to rub his thumbs in circles around her neck and shoulders; he could feel the tension radiating off of her. "Talk to me?"

Rose's eyes were tearing up. "You could get killed! It's not worth it!" She was determined not to cry, was determined to stay mad until this was resolved, but the warm presence against her back and the gentle massage were making it hard for her to maintain much of a head of steam. "I…don't want you hurt. This isn't saving anybody…just not that important…" She slumped down, leaning back into his touch, and said nothing more as he continued to work out the sudden tightness in her shoulders.

For a few more moments, neither spoke, and both focused on his hands. After the Doctor sensed that she was a bit calmer and less tense, he lightly squeezed her shoulders and then neatly twisted her hair up under itself as he'd done the evening before. He came around to sit beside her.

"Thanks." Her voice was quiet, almost toneless.

"Anytime." He tried to think of the best response to her anger, then decided that the truth was probably the best bet. "Rose, we do dangerous things all the time."

"It's different. You might get hurt, really hurt, and I won't be able to help, and it'll all be for _nothing_. Not saving lives, or fighting a bad guy, or anything."

The Doctor sighed. "Rose, you know I'll be careful. Believe me, I have no intention of stranding you here. But this is such a fantastic chance! Do you know how rare this is? How unusual to find animal species that can connect psychically, even to a limited extent, with an intelligent species? I might be able to learn a lot more from even a short amount of contact than these people. And we'll have them right there to help. They've done this for generations, Rose."

Rose shut her eyes tightly. He was right, she admitted miserably to herself, and he probably would emerge unscathed and smelling like a rose. Ha ha. And she'd never been able to resist that pleading, boyish look of excitement when he was faced with a mystery, or a challenge, or anything new.

"Fine. Just…fine." She couldn't say anything else.

"Rose." He turned her gently to face him. "You're worried about me. That means the world. I promise, I won't do anything stupid. I do know what it's like to be worried about _you_, you know." He fondly stroked her cheek with one thumb, tracing through the fine line of dampness where a tear had snuck out. "But this is what we do, eh? Different adventure. And better with two." His eyebrows raised, and she couldn't help but return his smile. "That's my girl!" He slipped an arm around her and together they walked back up to the stone cottage to gather their things.

By the time they'd made it in, Rose had composed herself, and as soon as the door closed behind them, she grabbed the Doctor in a tight hug, which he promptly returned, wrapping her up in those impossibly long arms. "I'm sorry. I was too worried to think. I know you're not going to be stupid. You'd better not, or I'll kill you myself." She could feel his laughter shaking his frame as he rested his chin on top of her head and squeezed her tightly.

"Deal."


	8. Getting ready

Rose spent half an hour or so packing her knapsack (she'd wheedled a sonic-screwdriver flash-drying so that she could pack her spare outfit) and drying and fixing her hair, while the Doctor paced around the cottage and babbled. When she had killed all the time she could, she dropped her knapsack by the door and made one last trip to the jakes. Returning to the front of the cottage, she was greeted by the Doctor, who was all but bouncing as he held her bag.

"Ah! All set?" Rose stifled a giggle; he was like the Time Lord equivalent of a puppy nearly weeing himself to go for a walk. Nodding, she fell in step beside him as they headed toward the village center. As they walked, Rose enjoyed the smooth, calm functionality that seemed to envelop the whole community; every job seemed to get done, every adult was busy but attentive to friends and children, and the children knew when to help and when to scram. She was so interested in watching the people go about their daily routines that she didn't notice when Shahved stepped out from a side lane into their path.

"Good morning, Rose, Doctor. Will you be coming along on our agrantha expedition?" His dark eyes gazed coolly at the Doctor and glittered lingeringly on Rose.

"Oh, I think so. Sounds like an interesting trip, and certainly quite the opportunity. How many of us will be attempting to touch a mindstone?" The Doctor spoke lightly and politely, though Rose noticed that he stepped just a hair closer to her.

The Doctor's inquiry seemed to shock Shahved. "You will be touching the agrantha?" At the Doctor's cheery nod, the young man's face went through a quick range of emotions: surprise, irritation, and satisfaction. "Well, that is something that not many outsiders are willing to try. I applaud your mettle. As it happens, I will also make another attempt, so may we both have safety and good luck. I will see you both after the noon meal, when we depart." Shahved gave Rose a parting glance, then nodded and disappeared down the side lane as quickly as he'd appeared.

Resuming their pace, they walked in silence for a moment, until the Doctor glanced over at Rose. "I think our friend has a bit of a, what do you say? A crush on you."

"Yeah…don't much care for that. There's something slimy about him. And he looks at me all lizardy and creepy." Rose wrinkled her nose and took hold of the Doctor's hand, swinging it with the cadence of their steps.

"He's not done anything…inappropriate, has he?" Stopping dead still in the middle of the path, the Doctor looked square at Rose, and she could see the flickers of those rarely-used but frightening Oncoming Storm eyes.

"Oh, no. Just…he wants to talk to me, and find out about us, and he invited me to walk around the village yesterday evening while I was on the way in. Didn't sound like much of a date. Don't worry. Not gonna be swanning around after him anytime soon." Rose tugged on his hand and smiled to reassure him, and they set off again.

Soon they reached Duleian's house, though they were halted at the porch entrance by the leader calling from across the lane. "Doctor! Rose! If you please, we ought to get your mounts chosen!" The stocky silvering man beckoned with a sweep of his arm, and they turned to cross the path and join him at the entrance to a building in front of what looked to be stables. "Doctor, Rose, this is Forennal. He is the senior stablemaster, and the father of Ellaran, whom you have met. He will help you choose beasts for the expedition. You are in very good hands! When you have arranged that, I believe that Rose can show you the way to Shahved and Orrona's storehouse, and you can get your gear together. Then I hope you will join me for the noon meal…?"

"We'd love to, thanks…erm, I'm afraid we don't have any of your currency, so –"

"Oh, that is not an issue at all! We have beasts and supplies enough for any visitors. Think nothing of it. I will see you in a bit." Duleian waved and headed off in another direction, leaving the Doctor and Rose standing with Forennal, a tall and gentle-looking man who smelled of leather and straw and looked very much like his son.

"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you both. Ellaran is terribly excited; he hardly slept at all last night! Follow me, and we shall see if any of these beasts suit you. Normally they would be out in the pasture, but with the expedition leaving today they need to conserve their strength, and we need to match them with riders." He led them through his small, tidy office, through the back door into the long stables. Several dozen gray-and-brown riding animals placidly whuffed and squeaked (_squeaked?_ Rose thought) in their half-stalls, some chewing on mouthfuls of the reddish grasses that they'd seen growing all about as they'd approached the village. They looked for all the world like donkeys, but with woolly coats and stubbier snouts, and crystal-blue eyes. Forennal turned to the Doctor and Rose and gave them each an appraising look. "You, Doctor, will need a larger animal. Have you any riding experience?"

"Ah, yes, but it's been a while…"

"Good. Then we will try you with one of these two; they are as headstrong as the larger beasts tend to be, but they are excellent mounts so long as you keep a firm hand. Come into the stall and get acquainted while I see to Rose here…hmm. A smaller one for you, and I think I see from your face that you are not much accustomed to riding?" He smiled kindly, and at Rose's embarrassed head shake, he patted her hand. "Nothing to worry about. I have a perfect one for you down here. She is small, and as gentle as a crettnir, and takes instructions very well. My wife trained her, so she is particularly responsive to female riders. You will do well with her!"

Forennal led Rose to a smaller gray animal, and motioned to her to slip into the stall. She did so, feeling self-conscious, and held out the back of her hand for the animal to smell. A soft, warm tongue flickered against her wrist, and the animal sniffed and nuzzled, obviously wanting a treat. Forrenal reached into his pocket and pulled out a chunk of some unidentifiable vegetable, which he handed to Rose. "That's a good girl, this lady will be riding you, so make friends now!" Rose offered the morsel, which was quickly but delicately lipped up, and tentatively stroked the animal's wooly neck. Bending down, she said softly, "More where that came from if you'll help me stay on your back, okay?"

Throwing his head back, Forennal laughed heartily. "You will be just fine! Let us go and see how the Doctor is coming along with his new friends!" Rose slipped back out of the stall, giving her mount one last stroke, and followed the stablemaster back up to where they had left the Doctor. Forennal's face creased in concern when they saw no trace of the Doctor's wild brown hair poking up above the stall dividers, and for a moment they both looked up and down the stable. Just as Rose was about to trot out and see if he had made a dash for it, they heard a quiet muttering down inside a stall, and they leaned over to see the object of their search sitting cross-legged in the straw, talking to one of the beasts as it peered intently at his animated whisperings. Rose rolled her eyes.

The Doctor peered up at them; he had donned his specs. "Hello, just having a little get-to-know-you. The other didn't want much to do with me, I'm afraid, but this one's quite keen on making friends. Very good listener, too. We'll get along smashingly!" Leaning in for one last _sotto voce_ comment, he patted the brown beast's fuzzy jowl and stood up, moving out into the corridor. "Well, Rose, find yourself a friend as well?"

"That she did, and a very good match, too. Now I must make a note of this, and mark the stalls, and you two must get your packs together. Orrona is expecting you. The beasts and I will see you after the noon meal!" Forennal smiled and bowed slightly, taking two strips of parchment-looking writing material out of a pocket and turning toward his office.

Grinning widely, the Doctor offered his arm. "Shall we?" Rose curtsied and took it, and together they strode out onto the porch. Rose indicated the direction toward the storehouse, and they strolled leisurely toward the large building, chatting idly and enjoying the relatively warm late morning. There was no one outside when they came to the storehouse, so Rose rapped on the office door. A muffled call and approaching footsteps answered, and soon the door was flung open to reveal a smiling Orrona, with a sheaf of notes under her arm and a very dusty work apron tied around her torso.

"Come in! Has Forennal arranged your riding situation?" At their nods, she motioned for them to follow her back into the storage area. "This is a good time. All of our men have already gotten their supplies cleared out, so things will be quicker and easier. Packs first…" Rummaging in a large freestanding locker, she drew out several framed packs of a tightly woven material. Quickly and efficiently she held them up to their backs, adjusted straps, switched one out, and finally nodded. Handing them each a pack, she pointed the way to the next area.

Stopping before a series of horizontal wooden poles, she scanned the racks. "These are your ground mats and cold-weather sleeping rolls. You will not actually need to carry them on your hike, since they will stay at camp with Ellaran and the mounts..." She heaved off two thick hide mats and lowered them to the floor, then stepped aside to the next series of rods and removed two bedrolls. She spread them out on the floor, rolled each tightly, and secured them with straps, then showed the Doctor and Rose how to fasten and unfasten them to the outsides of the packs for riding.

Rose followed Orrona closely as they headed further back in the storehouse, and the Doctor trailed, fingering his pack and and muttering about the waterproof weave's material and method. Thus distracted, he ran full into Rose's back as she and Orrona suddenly stopped in front of a set of heavy shelves holding smaller gear. "Oof!" she said, nearly falling over Orrona and dropping her pack in the process.

Abashed, the Doctor dropped his own pack, letting loose with a flurry of apologies to both women as he picked up Rose and dusted her off, completely oblivious to the fact that he'd run his hands all over her hips and bum in his flustered efforts to remove the nonexistent dirt and set her to rights. Both women noticed, though, and erupted in a fit of silent giggles as Orrona began selecting items from the shelves and laying them out on the floor in two identical piles.

Composing herself, Orrona recited the lineup. "Filled lantern. Flask of oil. Flint. Travel bread, dried fruit, jerky. Water bottle. You can fill that at the well. Knife. Bandages and salve. Blanket. Insect cream. You will want to pack a change of clothes…and that should be all. Ellaran will have the mounts' grain loaded already. Mostly they graze, but we like to give them a solid meal after a long walk." She talked more about expedition details as she meandered back toward the front and the office. Just as she reached the door, she turned to Rose. "Do you have a thick jacket? It gets even colder out in the lowlands than it does here. No? Here, try this one, you are only a bit taller than me. I have several, and I am not going on this trip anyway, so you wear this. It is not fancy, but it will do the job."

Rose spluttered her thanks and slipped on the coat; it did indeed fit rather well, and she hadn't even thought of needing a heavier coat than her cotton hoodie. She impulsively hugged Orrona, who delightedly returned the embrace. "We'll see you in a couple of days, yeah? Thanks for the help, and the supplies, and the jacket." The Doctor added his thanks, and soon they stood on the store's porch hefting their filled packs.

"Well. We have a bit before lunch; do you want to go and switch some of that stuff in your knapsack to the pack?" The Doctor looked incongruously…_normal_ with his specs and trainers and his pack on, like any student or backpacker waiting for the Tube.

"Oh, yeah. Suppose so." They walked back to the cottage, where Rose transferred her spare clothes to her pack while the Doctor took their water bottles to the well. Dropping her own small pack by the bed, Rose gave the cozy cottage one last glance – she was not looking forward to animal droppings and sore feet and weird noises close by, and she would absolutely, positively pine for that hot pool! Sighing, she followed the Doctor out the door, and they walked to Duleian's home, arriving at the same time as the leader himself.

"Excellent timing! Do you have everything that you need?" Duleian ushered them inside, closing the door behind them and urging them to drop their packs and head to the table. "Best eat heartily; while our travel food is healthy and safe, it is nowhere approaching my Nianna's cooking…"


	9. Striking out

Pushing back from the table, the Doctor sighed and turned to Nianna. "Thank you for lunch. It was lovely. Sure you won't come with us and cook on the trip?..." He attempted to look pitiful, but was rewarded by a peal of laughter from the plump lady.

"Oh, no, you will not find me out roaming on a smelly beast unless I have no choice! I will stay here in my warm home and think of you hardy souls out there eating cold travel food, and be ready to prepare you a decent meal when you come to your senses and return!" Smiling broadly, she began gathering the dishes from the long table.

Rose got up to help, but Nianna waved her away. "Thank you, my dear, but I have this well in hand, and it will not be long before you depart. Enjoy these last few moments of stillness, for you will soon have your fill of riding and walking!" Shaking her head at the very thought, she moved to the back table and puttered around the kitchen area as Duleian pushed back his own chair and looked at them.

"Well, I believe you know the basic plan for the expedition. Have you any questions before you leave?" Duleian looked, Rose thought, rather put out, but just as she opened her mouth to ask, the Doctor beat her to it.

"Are you not coming, then?"

The leader sighed. "I am afraid not. I do go on some shorter rides, and out hunting or flock-watching occasionally, but my duty is here for so long as I have the responsibility. That is the only true regret that I have about what I do, but it is worth it to know that the village is safe and well. And when I pass the stone to another next cycle, I will again have the opportunity." He wistfully glanced out the window, where some of the expedition members were beginning to assemble in the village center. "I hope you will spend time with me when you return and tell me of the expedition. If I cannot go, I would certainly like to hear what I missed!"

After they reassured him that they would do so, Duleian looked out the window and smiled. "Well, here come Forennal and Ellaran, and the stablehands with the beasts, so the time is upon us! Best be meeting them. Have you got your water filled and extra clothing? Yes? Excellent." He walked them to the door and waved at Ellaran while the Doctor and Rose hefted their packs. "Be safe. You are in good hands, so I will not worry, but since this is new to you, I will tell you that it is always wise to listen and watch. Ellaran is very knowledgeable and can handle anything that may arise on the ride, and for all his unusual personality, Shahved is a most accomplished expedition leader. Do not hesitate to ask them anything. Till day after tomorrow, then!" He remained on his porch as they bid him goodbye and turned toward the gathering villagers.

They headed toward Forennal, who was conversing with the stablehands as they stood holding the reins of several of the wooly donkey-ish mounts. "Look at the ass on that one!" Rose whispered, unable to help herself, and was rewarded by a muffled groan from the Doctor.

As they approached, Forennal turned toward them. "Ah, here you are. Rose, here is your new friend" – he motioned to a stablehand to hand over the small gray beast – "and Doctor, yours." The Time Lord grasped the reins of the taller brown one, which immediately peered at its new boss in a way that reminded Rose uncannily of the way the Doctor often stared something down through his geek-chic specs. _Umcirillaxian Donkeyish Things and their Lookalike Owners_, she thought, and for the millionth time thanked her lucky stars that she'd been able to have this wild ride of a life.

Forennal moved away to match the remaining mounts with their riders, and Ellaran and Shahved stepped up on a low podium. Ellaran spoke first, his quiet voice surprisingly strong. _He's done this before, thought Rose._ "Good day. We will leave as soon as we have gone through the plan. I see that everyone is accounted for; we will have a total of eleven people and riding mounts, plus six pack animals. I am head for the riding and at camp, and Shahved is head during the expedition itself. We will leave shortly and ride until just before dark. Kilden and Toral are in charge of setting up camp upon arrival" – he nodded to two dark-haired men – "and Jersam and I will handle the beasts and remain with them at camp during the expedition. The expedition will leave at first light tomorrow and arrive back at camp at dusk; the likely agrantha sites are within a few hours' hike. We will camp overnight again, then leave and return here by noon the following day, so that we may all wash the tremendous smell from ourselves and be again fit for polite company." Chuckles swept the group, and Ellaran stepped down as Shahved spoke.

"For those of us who will be attempting to touch the agrantha, please remember that we must stay together and work together. Let us be safe and not return home with sad tales. I will speak with each of you as we ride. And now, if we are all prepared, let us depart." He stepped down and quickly strode over to his own mount.

"Right-o!" The Doctor happily began strapping his pack behind his saddle, and Rose bent down once more to rifle through the contents of her own, her thoughts teeming afresh with worry about the agrantha. "Up then, c'mon, hit the road and all that!" The Doctor had appeared next to her; he wiggled his fingers, gesturing for her to hand over her pack, and set to securing it behind her saddle. Finishing quickly – he'd obviously paid attention to Orrona's mini-lesson – he handed her the reins and started to step back over to his own mount.

"Thanks. Erm, Doctor. How exactly do you get on this thing? It's not gonna sit down for me, I assume..." She was terribly embarrassed, since she was pretty sure that everybody else on this trip had been riding since they were born, and the Doctor managed to make everything look easy no matter where or when he was. Fabulous. She began resigning herself to being the laughingstock of the expedition.

To his eternal credit, the Doctor didn't laugh at her. "Ah. Well, I suppose they're much like horses, so you'll just get a leg up – here, step in my hands – and sling your leg over his back, and hold onto the reins. Up you go – there! You're a natural. Now be nice to Smokey there, and he'll _probably_ not tip you arse over teakettle miles from home…" Now grinning, he effortlessly slid a long leg over his brown mount's back and heaved himself upright, looking as if he'd been born to it.

"Git." Rose mumbled under her breath, but she was too relieved to have mounted uneventfully to be actually irritated.

Within a few moments, the mass of people and animals had thinned out; the well-wishers and family members had moved aside to make room for the ragged column of riders, which eased down the main path toward the open gate. The Doctor and Rose got a few pointers from the young man riding directly behind them – "Just nudge the belly, not too hard; they have been well trained…" – and were relieved to be conveyed steadily along with the flow of riders. Staying on wasn't so bad, Rose figured, as long as they kept this kind of pace. The riding beasts had an odd slope to their backs, slightly tilted forward, which made you lean backwards a bit to compensate, but the gentle sway wasn't difficult to adapt to.

Rose found the whole experience rather soothing, and focused on looking around at the landscape once they were past the village, fields, and pastures. They were traveling almost exactly away from the TARDIS as best as she could tell, headed toward the lowlands and those mysterious agrantha, and most hopefully of all, not towards certain doom. To divert her attention from worry, she turned to the Doctor, but before she could open her mouth, Shahved called from up ahead. "Doctor! Would you ride up with us for a short while so that we may speak and plan?" Ruefully, she waved to him as he nudged his mount into a quicker walk, tossing a smile over his shoulder as he moved up to the front of the pack to join the other agrantha-seekers.

She had no idea of how much time was passing; those double suns' odd shadows and lighting messed with her head, but it was oddly freeing not to be bound by anything but light. The Doctor stayed up ahead for quite some time with Shahved's group, and though she couldn't hear any of their words for the sounds of the animals and ride, she could tell that the conversation was quite animated. Eventually, as the suns were noticeably beginning to set, the group broke up, and the Doctor drifted back to ride alongside Rose again. "Learn anything good?" she asked, though she knew from the set of his face that he was processing it and would tell her about it later, once he'd sorted it in his own head first.

"Mmm, quite…" he murmured, deep in thought.

Just as Rose began to wonder how much longer it would be, she noticed that Ellaran had stopped and dismounted up under a small grove of trees. They'd reached the campsite, though what made it a campsite Rose couldn't tell. Roughing it was not her thing, and she was already seriously missing that hot tub. Reaching the group, Rose waited until the Doctor got off of his animal and was holding hers before she attempted to dismount. She slung her leg over to the side, slid off the saddle, and would have collapsed had it not been for the Doctor holding onto her arm. God, that slight tilt had been a killer! She stayed hunched over for a moment, trying to ease her cramped back without drawing too much attention to herself. The Doctor's hand landed on the small of her back, and he leaned in to whisper. "Straighten up slowly, and hold onto my arm. Your muscles aren't used to holding that position for so long." She did so, and managed to stand straight just as Ellaran began speaking.

He briefly outlined what would happen: they'd tie the mounts here, and Ellaran and Jersam would feed, water, and settle them for the night. Kilden and Toral (cousins, she'd learned during the ride) would meanwhile set up camp, including a central fire pit, a latrine area, and six tents. Another two would make the stew and bread, and after dinner, they'd all retire to get a good night's sleep before setting off at first light. At a final word, the group sprang into action, or at least those with jobs did; the rest seemed to know to stay out of the way, but be ready to lend a hand if needed. Rose and the Doctor stood with a few others by a large ferny tree, and it seemed no time at all before the beasts were securely tied around a patch of stout scrub and happily eating and slurping their dinner. Only a few moments later, the camp was ready, and everyone settled in. Rose slumped stiffly against a large rock and slid down to sit on the ground; she'd almost dozed off when the Doctor nudged her knee with his as he sat next to her and handed her a bowl of unidentifiable stew and hunk of slightly-ashy bread.

"Been a long day." The Doctor glanced over at her, and she could tell: he was worried about her. She forced a smile, and started eating the bland-but-unoffensive meal. He relaxed fractionally and began eating his own, but never had her out of his watchful surveillance. When they'd finished, he collected their bowls and returned them to the camp leaders, then came back over to her. "Ready to get flat?" he smiled, pointing to one of the woven tents. "That one's ours. Already got our packs in there and rolls down."

Rose forced herself to stagger to the latrine, then made her way to the tent as fast as she could. She noticed that everyone else was leaving their shoes outside their tent flaps, and as she approached, she saw the Doctor's filthy white Chucks piled up as well. She smiled and painfully crouched down to enter. The Doctor was rooting through his pack, but put it aside immediately as she crawled in. "I'll go while you change –"

"Ugh, don't worry…just turn around…" He obligingly stared at the firelight through the tent material while she dragged off her clothes and pulled on her nightwear. Shoving her dirty clothes aside, she noticed that he'd combined their mats and bedrolls to make one double "bed." Too tired and stiff to care, she flopped down on her stomach on one side and heaved a long breath of relief at finally being able to stretch out.

The Doctor was changing too, and soon had joined her on the thick mats, bringing their blankets from their packs. Instead of lying down, though, he sat next to her and set the heels of his hands on either side of the base of her spine. As he began pressing and circling on the tight muscles, Rose gasped. "You don't…"

"I know. I want to. And you aren't going to be able to walk at all tomorrow unless your back loosens up. Relax." He spent the next twenty minutes patiently and gently working the stiffness out of her back, as she tried her hardest not to groan aloud and give their neighbors something to gossip about. He really was amazing at this, she thought; he seemed to know exactly how hard to press, how slowly to move, how to get a knotted muscle just to the point of relaxation without tipping into pain. She briefly entertained the notion that he could read her mind and know what felt good, but decided it didn't matter one bit, and focused on the intense relief of her previously-miserable back. Gradually he moved up to her shoulders, and by the time he'd finished there, Rose was fast asleep, utterly relaxed and with a small blissed-out smile on her face.

The Doctor slid down next to her and pulled the blankets up over them; it was going to be a cold night. He slid his palm over her back again and again as he watched the fire dance patterns through the tent wall, and lost himself in thought until daybreak.


End file.
